Just Show Up
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. – Romans 12:1, NKJV
Moses gave every excuse he could think of to keep from doing what God was calling him to do. When we look into the Book of Exodus, Chapters Three, and Four, we become eyewitnesses to the dialogue between Moses and God, as Moses’ calling and commission unfolds.
“Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
God answered, “I will be with you…”
“If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”
But…”What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The LORD never appeared to you’?”
The Lord worked a couple of miracles right before Moses’ eyes and then said, “If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign.”
Then Moses pleaded with God, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”
Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear, or do not hear, see, or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD?”
But…”Lord, please! Send anyone else.”
The LORD then became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you.”
Can you believe Moses? This was God that he was talking to. Evidently, he didn’t realize that God was going to have His way, no matter what he said.
From Moses’ first encounter with God at the burning bush, to the Exodus of The Children of Israel from Egypt, Moses appealed to God eleven times, in protest. And with each time that he complained, God counteracted his complaint. I can imagine God probably wanted to say, I’m not asking you, Moses, to do this on our own. I want to do it through you. I just need you to Show Up.
How many times in your life has God required something of you that you felt you were not qualified for? Or maybe, you felt you were inadequate or not worthy of the calling. While all the time you were thinking of reasons why you shouldn’t, the voice of the Lord was saying, it’s not about you; it’s about Me working through you. I anoint those that I appoint and I give them the grace to accomplish My will. For you see, My grace is sufficient for you to accomplish what I need and My strength is perfected in your weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9a) It’s a matter of your inability, giving room to My ability. I just need you to Show Up.
So, if God can use us despite our weaknesses, what does our posture look like, when we show up? I’m glad you asked.
A vessel that shows up is clothed in a garment of humility, stitched together with threads of obedience and the Coat of Arms, embroidered across one’s chest reads, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30, NKJV) In other words, our flesh has to step aside and give way to an all-powerful, all-mighty God that He may perform miracles, signs, and wonders before those who do not yet believe.
So the next time the Father has need of you, don’t think of the many reasons why you can’t submit to His will, nor give thought to how it will get done. You trust God and Just, Show Up.
“Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up” – Brené Brown
Join me next week for Coffee on The Couch
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.